Yosemite Forum

I am a first time visitor to the park and looking for a 3 or 4 night backpacking trip for sometime the last two weeks of may. Unsure what would be a good area of the park at that time of year. Also hoping to come early or stick around a couple days for day trips in the park. Any suggestions on a convenient place to stay before and/or after our backpacking trip (cheapish).

Tioga Road will almost certainly be still closed in May, and that limits your options. If it were me, I would go in through Hetch-hetchy to Rancheria Falls...snow levels might well be at 7,000 feet or so, so much of the park will be under snow--and the trails hard to follow.

The other option might be up from Wawona to Chilnualna Falls, but the creek crossings on that section can be hairy that time of year.

Finally, you should be able to get out to the Glacier Point Road, and that would allow you Illilouette Canyon, or maybe even the Little Yosemite Valley...

Don't be disheartened by this comment, but the best parts of the park are hard to get to that early in the season

Thanks for the advice! I wish we could come a little later, but its unfortunately not an option.

Do you think we could safely plan on Hetch-hetchy to Rancheria Falls? A little snow isn't a big deal, but we probably won't be equipped or experienced enough to navigate a totally snow covered trail (nor do we love the idea of being frozen).

Is it worth spending a day or two in the valley as well just to explore if we have never been before?

Yes, unless there is a REALLY unusual snowstorm Rancheria Falls should be a piece of cake-we did it last year in early April, although we watched the weather carefully. Try to plan on a non-weekend trip, because the only time that trail gets busy in spring is on the weekends. And you won't have any trail following the trail, even with a bit of snow, because for most of the way there is only one place it can go!

And if you have never been to Yosemite, you would be crazy to miss the Valley. It's worth two days, easy.

PS: and if you visit our website: www.backpackthesierra.com , you will find a list of hikes by highway. Check out some of our favorites in Yosemite!

For three or four nights Rancheria will be too short. You might be able to get more mileage on a trip up to Ostrander Lake from Glacier Point Road, which should be open - there may be patchy snow but that trail has the advantage of also being flagged for the ski hut. If you go cross country and hit the Buena Vista Trail, heading down toward Chilnualna Lakes, visiting Chilnualna Falls, and swinging back up via Bridalveil Creek would make it a loop. That may or may not be the sort of mileage you're looking for - review a good topo map. Also, this early in the season, creeks will be absolutely raging and sometimes unsafe, so you will probably be wise to have the flexibility of being willing to turn back.

Or, go Rancheria, and head up to Tiltill and around that loop to Lake Vernon and come out down Beehive. There will be snow patches and lots of water, but that will be true anywhere. Wapama will be raging - pack liner and poncho/rain gear might keep you and gear somewhat dry, but the bridge will be slippery and the force of the water will take your breath away.

Good navigation skills, crampons and a GPS would be a real good idea.

hmmm now you have me worried we might be out of our league...
is there no where in the park that we can do a 3 or 4 night trip and be safe from snow storms and closed roads or raging waters looking to drown or soak us?

You might get rain... tho it can snow any time of year it's not likely to amount to anything. Early spring, all the creeks and rivers in the Sierra Nevada will be flowing very high with snowmelt, but in well traveled areas like along the trail to Rancheria or up to Little Yosemite Valley there are bridges. As late as June/July, the trails can still have patches of snow and standing/trickling water. It all depends on the weather the previous winter, snow levels, weather in spring... no way to know, which is why I'm suggesting good navigation skills and at least some yaktrax, inadequate as they might be for ongoing use. Closed roads also depend on how snowmelt progresses - some years Tioga opens earlier, but that means nothing so far as trail conditions.

It's unpredictable. I usually do Hetch Hetchy in late May or early June, it's really when the falls are at their best, and it's easy enough to turn around if the trail in the higher parts of the loop are snowbound or waterlogged.

Don't panic, or give up hope. Do remember that a lot of Yosemite is above 7,500 feet, and you are likely to find snow at those levels during your visit.

I like the idea of extending the trip from Rancheria Falls, but Tiltill Valley will get you postholing into the snow at that time of year. We stayed two days in Rancheria Falls---hiked in one day, second day we day/hiked/climbed up to LeConte Point and ate lunch up there and had a terrific time. And the third day we packed out. Great views.

I agree that you might be able to do Ostrander, but the views on that trip are pretty limited...nothing like Hetch-Hetchy.

You have plenty of time to decide---and I really would wait until a week or so before you go. You won't have trouble getting permits at that time of the year, and you will have a much better idea of the weather. Some of us will have already been up there, and can give you the latest trail reports on all of these trips.

awesome thanks so much for the help everyone!

I think we will try to plan the trip as though we are doing Rancheria falls area and then be flexible if need be. That sounds like the best bet for ok conditions and good sights. Since there is a decent size group of us (5-7) we are thinking maybe we should get permits ahead of time? Or is it really not a problem?
Where/how do you recommend getting the best map to use to really plan out distances and about when/where to camp?

we are also going to try to stay a couple nights in the valley and do some day hikes/exploring from there if anyone has any must dos are secrets or anything!

thanks again for all the help!

It is predicted to be a very wet winter here on the West Coast...I would pay attention as it goes, since the run-off has a great deal to do with that....

I think the Harrison map is pretty good...although they have all the good topos at the ranger station for $6 apiece, which is still a good deal. And you can go to the USGS store and print anything that you need.

5-7 still isn't a huge group for Rancheria...especially if you go during the week.

And on that trail, there is really only one trail and one place to camp--at the falls. Its 6.5 miles from the trailhead. LeConte Point is another 2-2.5 from there, but that's a day hike, not an overnight.

Garsh,
FIRST time visitor.
Just go up Merced River Canyon all the way to Merced Lake.
Classic Yosemite. Incredible Falls.
Next time go to Hetch Hetchy.

Hi Everyone, I have been talking with my friends and trying to make a tentative trip plan (which of course we are open to changing last minute if need be). We are thinking of doing Hetchy Hetch region. Wondering a bit about how many nights to plan and what areas to plan camping.

Day One: O'Shaighnessy Dam Trailhead --> Lake Vernon (10.3) camp there
Day Two: Lake Vernon --> Tiltill Valley (6.9) or Rancheria Junct (9.5) camp there
Day Three: Hike back out (9.5) or (6.9)

- How does that sound?
- Could we/should we add an extra night - maybe at beehive or detour out to laurel lake and camp there? Any other spots to camp?
- Any other detours possible to or worth taking?
- I am guessing going any further NE like on jack main canyon trail isn't likely to be too passable this time of year?

- we also plan to spend at least two days exploring the valley so if anyone has spring half day/day hike favorites down there let me know or any camping/lodging just out of the park favorites

Thanks again for all your help!
Really appreciate it!

midwesthiker -

You will be much better off skipping the Tilltill (mud) Valley portion of that loop and spending time day hiking around Vernon and going back the way you came, especially in early season.

May is probably too early for any of that area if you aren't familiar with it, as it is easy to get disoriented hiking in forest on snowfields, and the lake may still be iced over anyway.

Skip Laurel Lake too, one of Yosemite's most non-descript lakes.

Eleanor Lake is a pretty sure bet for May, though you won't be seeing much granite, and some fishing is restricted due to spawning that time of year. Depending on the snowpack, Kibbie Lake might be accessible.

The Yosemite Park website has a monthly report on the snow levels and conditions, which can be somewhat like reading tea leaves until you go up and see it for yourself.

Keep in mind creek levels will be very high that time of year and the thing most likely to kill you. Any trail that crosses one without a bridge may be impassable.

Your best bet is to have several iteneraries planned and go with the one that fits the conditions. There is good reason why I've never seen anyone else above snowline in the spring. Good luck!